Highlander 2013 vs Buick Enclave 2013

Both dealers might be right about the release date. It could be arriving in August, but not get to your region until March. Some dealers, do to sales history, size, connections, etc., can get models before others.

As a general rule, used hybrids hold their value well. As for possible incentives on the out going 2013, it depends on how much a dealer has on a lot. The HiHy isn't a high volume model, so I don't see dealers lowering the price on a 2013 in their inventory until the fall or later.

​

It would be after market. Dealer told me they could install heated seats on the Sonic LT and they're only available on the LTZ.

 

I would absolutely NEVER buy a Buick or any GM product.

 

I've reviewed most of the midsize SUVs on the market and really appreciate almost everything about our 2011 Highlander Hybrid, except for the styling. I've reviewed the Enclave and similar Traverse as well. They are definitely bigger, but you'll get about half the fuel economy around town. Plus, the transmissions are noisy and don't always shift as expected, even in the 2013 model that was supposedly revised. We have a couple in our neighborhood and I can always identify them coming down the road before I see them.

I like the 2014 Highlander in terms of styling better than the current generation hybrid. That assumes they don't uglify Hybrid for 2014 with something distinctive, like they did in 2011. I'd consider a trade in a few years if they don't mess up anything else about it. Usually around the third or fourth model year, they do a minor refresh to update some of the quirks, as they did with the 2011 model. By then all the crash testing is done and any major problems are resolved, too. On the other hand, we bought a 2010 Prius in the first year of its generation and it's been trouble free. The biggest quirk for us is the awful rear visibility.

If you just need a little extra room, have you considered a Prius V as an alternative? Not only is it roomier, but the rear visibility is improved, too. You do sacrifice some fuel economy, but it's still considerably better than the Highlander Hybrid. I really enjoyed the C-Max as well. It's a bit roomier than Prius, though didn't seem quite as roomy as Prius V. I thought the hatch opening with a wave/kick of the foot was a gimmick at first, but it was surprisingly handy. Especially if you have baby in one hand and stroller in the other!